Train-order cabinet.



No. 789,753. PATENTED MAY16,1905.'

B. M. MCCLESKBY.

TRAIN ORDER CABINET.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. ze, 1905.

R E n. R 0 M A R T n. n, w. a C.

'MyW/MMC aS' @AXA W/VESSES m@ Unire STATES Patented May 16, 1905.

PATENT Prien.

TRAIN-ORDER CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,753, dated May 16, 1905.

Application tiled January 26, 1905. Serial No. 242,815.

To rif/ZZ whmn it may concern:

Beit known that I, BENJAMTN M. McCLns- KEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Train-Order Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to contrivances by which the operator is prevented or deterred from leaving despatches lying loose on his table and by which the state of the railway-signal as long as it indicates a clear track is" I attain kept constantly before his mind. these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of the cabinet with the doors open and half of the plates in position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cabinet with an open door, the side being removed. Fig. 3 is a front view of a plate. Fig. 4L is a side view of a plate.

The same letters represent the same parts in all figures.

A B are the two hinged horizontally-swinging doors of the cabinet. I prefer to line each door with a light plank D, separated from it by cleats C C. This light plank or the door, if made of heavy material, dispensing with the lining, is divided into several compartments, preferably one'beneath the other. In each of these compartments is a hole E, which holes should be arranged in a vertical line, and at the bottom of each is a system of nrtches or cogs F G, dilferent on the two s1 es.

H H are plates adapted to fit into the compartments and each having at the bottom a system of cogs or notches J J which will permit a plate to tit into the compartments on one side, but not on the other, and having also clamps K, preferably spring-actuated for fastening papers to the plates and bearing on their reverse sides the pins L L, adapted to iit in the holes.

M N are the two arms of a semaphore, to which are attached the cords O P, which pass down through the top of the cabinet into the two sides thereof, respectively.

Q R are two bars or levers in the two sides of the cabinet, attached near its base and pref- -of the cords when they are pulled.

erably to its floor, to the Lipper ends of which levers are attached the semaphore cords. Said cords I prefer to pass around pulleys T T, so as to change their direction from perpendicular to horizontal and prevent binding A bar when the cord is pulled down in order to lower a semaphore extends horizontally out beyond the open door of the cabinet, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and in that position it can be secured in any suitable manner-for example, by the catch S.

Having now described the various parts of my contrivance, I will proceed to show the manner of its operation. The various plates are hung on the inner sides of the doors by putting the pins through the holes in them or in their lining', the despatch-blanks being secured to the plates by the clasps. When a despatch is to be written, a plate with its blanks is detached for use. The long pin on the back of each plate renders it very inconvenient for the operator to leave the plate and. despatch, when filled in, lying on the table and makes it more pleasant for him to perform his duty-that is, to hang them back on the door. For convenience in writing out despatches the operators table should have a slot to receive the pins of the plates, so that the plates may lie iat. This should be directly before the instrument, so that it will be impracticable to leave them there. I claim no invention in the slotted table. Now when a train approachesnfor instance, on the down track -the operator must open that side of the cabinet into which passes the cord actuating the down-track semaphore and on the door of which are attached all despatches or orders concerning future trains on that track. These despatches are therefore thus brought directly before his eyes, and it is almost impossible for him to avoid seeing any which may atfect the approaching train before manipulating the semaphore so as tov indicate a clear track. When he does so manipulate the semaphore, it is done by pulling down the lever, which so long as the semaphore shows clear remains extended out of the front of the cabinet and over his table and instrument. Thus not only the abnormal state of the signal is IOO constantly kept before his mind, but he is unable to operate the telegraph until the signal has been returned to its normal position of danger, which is done by a counterweight, as in all semaphores, when the lever is raised and the cord relaxed. This effectuates my object of preventing a very common practice-that of fastening the cord down to anail or hook and then sometimes forgetting to release it, which practice has been the cause of numerous accidents. However, even if the lever be not made so long as to extend beyond the cabinet the other beneficial feature would still remain-namely, that the operator in orde`r to change the semaphore must open the cabinet where the despatches hang. As above mentioned, the plates may be so made that those for holding despatches intended for down trains will not tit into the side of the cabinet devoted to up trains and vice versa. However, my contrivance would be valuable even if the orders were scattered indiscriminately over b'oth sides. In fact, it would be practicable and valuable even if the cabinet were made all in one compartment containing the ends of the two semaphore-cords and two levers, and especially might this be done at stations where few trains pass; but I prefer to have two compartments. It may be convenient to have space arranged to receive plates on the rear inside of the cabinet. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*d l. A train-order cabinet, having a hinged door, plates, means for attaching papers loosely to said plates, and means for attaching said plates removably to the inner side of said door, and levers within the cabinet adapted to hold the endsof semaphore-cords, and which, when horizontal, extend beyond the doorway of the cabinet, substantially as described.

2. A train-order cabinet having two hinged` doors, plates, means for attaching papers to the plates, and means for attaching the plates to the inner sides of said doors, and levers within the cabinet adapted to hold the ends of 5 I horizontal, extend beyond the doorway, sub-V stantially as described.

5. In train-order cabinets, the combination of two hinged doors, each adapted to hold despatches regarding trains in only one direction, and two levers within the cabinet, which, when horizontal, extend beyond the doorway of the cabinet, substantially as described.

. 6. A train-order cabinet, having twohinged doors, plates, each of which is adapted to be attached to the inner side of only one of the doors, paper-clasps on said plates, and levers within said cabinet, which, when extended horizontally, project beyond the doorway of the cabinet, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have set my hand, at Louisville, Kentucky, this 24th day of J anuary, 1905. Y

BENJAMIN M. MCCLESKEY.

Witnesses:

A. LINCOLN DEMLITZ, ERNEsT MAcPHERsoN. 

